Resetting mechanism por odometers



Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,678

H. L. MBCNEILL RESBTTING MECHANISM FOR ODOMETERS, ETC

Filed D90. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,678

H. M NEILL RESETTING MECHANISM FOR ODOMETERS, ETC

Filed Dec. 14, 1927 2 S s-Sheet. 2

Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,763,678 PATENT oer-ice.

HARRIS L. MACNEILL, OF WALTHAIV Z, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WALTHAM WATCH COMPANY, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

RESET'IING MECHANISM FOR ODOMETER-S, ETC.

Application filed December 14, 1927. Serial No. 239,951.

This invention relates to a registering 1nstrument such as an odometer for motor vehicles, the instrumentlin'clnding a series of coaxial registering wheels, one of which, the primary wheel, is connected with a wheel of the vehicle to ,be'rot ated thereby, the other wheels beingrotatedfstep by s'tep, through well known intermediate connections with the primary wheel, the second wheel being rota ted one step byi'ea ch complete rotationof the .p m ryfflih 'lge d e hjsuee g w "being rotated one: step by each co nplete'rotation of the preceding wheel.

A It 'is n'ecessa ry to occasionally reset the heels, or in other words', setthem at their iartin g po'sitiohsf with all the numerals of ejsem l 'nal ae n W h e c oth r, the [zero numerals ,beinggarranged in a row parallel the axisiof thejwheels, and the 1 other numerals il i parallel the zero numeralsff,"

an. improved mechanismf whereby; the wheels 1 may be, quickly reset, so: thatthefinstrument is prepared :ijor another 'per 'odbf operat on. 1. ,Of the-[accompany ng drawings forniing a part of this specification ef ,Figure 11' tions of an odometer structure including a series of registering wheels, and the resetting mechanism in which :the invention is em- I g FigureQ isasection on line 22 ofFigure 1. Figure 3 indicated byline 8-3 of the resetting mechanism.

Figure 1, parts of Figure 4 is a plan view, showing the strucmember of the carrier hereinafter described,

and thepawl carriedjthereby.

Figure 9 is a perspectiveview, show ng the stop. shifter detachedfrom the carrier.

F i ure 10 is a perspective view, showing the 6 up;

a side elevation, showing ,porfat the shows ,in section, on the plane The same referencecharacters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

The registeringinstrument shown in part by'the drawings, includes the usual or any suitable series of registering wheels 12, which may be composed, of any desired number threebelng-shown in this instance. The

primary wheel at one end of the series, which wheels are coa xially mounted and rotatable may be rotated by any suitable connections between it and a driving member, suchas a wheel ofa motor vehicle, and connections between the primary wheel and'the succeeding wheels, whereby the latter are rotated step b tep, so that a registration of 'theimileage vehicle is 'efiected by num'erfals on the peripheries of the wheels visible'through'a sight opening (not shown), in: the casing'.

It'is to be understood that myinvention hereinafter Ides cribedirelates wholly to resetting mechanism, whereby the wheels may be set and reset, so that only their zero 'n 'imerals are visible'through the'sight opening commencement of a registering operation.

In carrying out my invention I provide the registering wheels 12 with teeth 15, there being one toothon each wheel, and the teeth being so arranged relative to the wheel numerals that when the wheels are reset'at zero theteeth are in alinement with each other and A form a straight row extending parallel with the axis of the wheels,

I To the 'framefI secure, as by screws 16, a resilient shank 17, from the free end of which an elongated stop 18 projects laterally over the series of wheels, the stop being normally held or located vieldingly by [the resilience "of-the shank outside the path of the wheel teeth, as shown by Figures 2, 3 and 6, and

shiftable inwardly into said path, as shown by Figure 7, so that it is adapted to arrest the teeth in alinement with each other..

19 designates an elongated pawl which is movable over the peripheries of the wheels 12,

and engageable with the teeth 15, to move the teeth against the stop. 2-0 designates a stop shifter movable with the pawl 19, t0 shift the stop} 18 into the path of the whee teeth. The pawl and the stop shifter are lied to a currier, adapted to be moved, preferably in a cuiavedmath,to locate the sh-ittenuiLternatelyintlie inoperativeiposition shown by Figure 6, and in the operative positionshown 5 by Figure 7. The carrier is preferably adapted torocltvor osei llate-on'the shaft 13, and on an arbor- =21 (Figure supported by the frame in a position coaxial with the shaft, the carrier including u sleeveQQ, and a collar 28, fixed as by a key 24 [Figure 5,) to, oneend of the sleeve. '1 1e stop shifter is formed ,on a,p la te 2 5, (Figurefilfixed, as by screws 30, to the collar 23, the shifter heinga finger having .a stopeengaginginner'vtace -20 ar- 5 ranged totoree the-stop 18 the path of ,the'wheel teeth, as shown bygFigure 7. The pawl 19 is formedon the freeendota resilient shank l, w "h,ich is fixed, .asby screw .32, tiop the, periphery -of, the collar- 23. ,The pawl 20 is 1nchned, .as shown byF gures Band 7, so thatfit ,ishtlrpted-to yield to a nd be sprung outwardly thewheelteeth,15,,when the ins t-r uinen't is in ,operati on a-nd the ,pawl is in 't 1e, inoperative position shown, by Figure 6. hen,the pawl is moved to or toward the posit'ionshownr hyfiFigure 7, itengages and lpesitiyely,gnoyesfthewheel ,teeth in its path. Ih ei parrieriis o erahle, by, .operat1ng means ,x lu mee 'yi l m e eme orma y hold- 1 n, ,.'thef 'carrier.,at ,one extreme of its movet e, m l ma ua -new i elementflddpti ,ed,to n oye,the c; uri-'r to t eothere ztreme 0t its 'mveme ftgthe embodiment .of the invention here shown theroc fingsleeyeportron of the arrier .provgided enternally,with gear teeth tuestung w th raelc tt eeth fi t, on ,a bar .30, h1 h momble v r lte l n a gu te me i fli insti ute. by t ibsl mii t .3 at of th e frame, the portion'36'having a spring ebutment 38. who, rack bar 35 is provided with a, pull i-han'dle 39, whereby it uay be ,1i l i)lla: lly, l;l 'l OVQ( i one direction. Aspring 40, .gons'titnt ing t 1e yieldingelement, is intL1p.QSed between the ahutgpeh t. 38. and the harygrnd normally supports the-rack bar in tlie i aised position shown by gn te 2. When the rack bar is in 'this position, the stop shifter- 20 and p a wl 19 areinaintained "yielding'ly; n the inoperative pos tion shown lhyEigui-e 6.

' Thenthe instrument s-pertor ing ts t'unetion, the carrier being in its noperative position, them heel teeth 15, which moi-e in the diteetjon indicated-by thearrow X (Figure displape the pzrwlLS) in passing under it, so that the resetting mechanism does not zitiect the usual pperation of-the instrument. hen the wheels are to be reset after a period Lot operation, the operator pulls downon the handle 39, thus turning the carrier and movthe ;st,op,shitt er 20 and thepawl 19 from the positionsshown by Figure 6, to those shown byFigure 7, the stop 18 being thus shifted into thepath ot the wheel teeth 15,

and a, manually movable element a da pt ed to for cuehwheel, fixed to the wheels, the teeth being; arranged to he in ziliueinent. with each other when the \VllCQlS are rt it, an elongated stopyieldingly mounted on :1 fixed support and normally located outside the. path of the .wheel teeth, the sto p be ng shittal'ile into said path togutrest the teeth n1 ahnen'ient with each -.other,,;ur elongated pawl ,moy able over the peripheries iot the wheels and engageable niththe Wheel teeth .to move thesame against the stop a stop shifter, n1ovahle with the pawl to shift lthestop into thepat-h of the wh eel teeth, ,an oscillatory carrier for said a pawl .andshitter, and carriereo perating means including a yielding elementnormally holding the carrier Ht. one extremeof its movement,

more the ca rrier to the oppos teextremeofi its lnOVQlflG l l t, the arrangement being such that when the carrier is in its noninal positionthe usual operationot the registering wheels is permitted, and whenthe earrie'r is .moved to its opposite, position, the stop isishiifted, into the path of the'wheel teeth and the pawl is noved toc perate-With the teeth andstop in resetting thewheels. i

2. Theeonibination with airegistering instrument which includes a series of co'ax'ial registering yhe els, of a wheel resetting mechanism comprising a. series of teeth, one for eaelrwheehfined to the'wh eels, the teeth bein,g arran ed" to 'be in alinement with each totlm t n fiievlmlsnre reset, an elongated stop yieldingly.mo unted ,on a fixed support and nornuillylocated outside the path'ot the teeth, the stop being; shiftable into sa-icLpat-h to arrest the teeth when they are in alinernentwith each other, an oscillatory carrier movable about an axis in alinement with the axis of the wheels, and provided witl' an elongaterjl puwl adaptedpt-o engage and ailine the teeth, and with a stop shifter adapted move the step into the path of the wheel teet-lrva-ntl earrier-operating means including .11 yielding element holding the carrier in a normal and inoperative position, and :1 manually movable element operable to turn the carrier to ginabnormal and operative position, the

arrangement heingsueh that when the carrier is in its normal position, the usuaL operation of the registering .Wheeis is permitted,. and when the eaitriier is moved to its abnormal positi0n, the stop is shiftedinto thepath of the wheel teeth, and the pawl rotates the wheels to their starting position.

3. The combination with avregistering instrument which ineludes a.- series of coaxial registering Wheels, of a wheel-resetting mechanism comprising a series of teeth, one for each wheel, fixed to the wheels, the teeth being arranged to be in alinement with each other when the wheels are reset, an elongated stop yieldingly mounted on a fixed support and normally located outside the path of the teeth, the stop being shiftable into said path to arrest the teeth when they are in alinement with each other, a carrier composed of a sleeve movable about an axis coaxial with the axis of the wheels and provided with external gear teeth, and a collar fixed to the sleeve and provided with an elongated pawl adapted to engage and aline the teeth and with a stop shifter adapted to move the stop into the path of the wheel teeth, and carrier-operating means including a rack bar reciprocable in a fixed guide and engaging the sleeve teeth, and a spring normally supporting the rack bar at one extreme of its movement, the rack bar being manually movable to an abnormal position at the opposite extreme of its movement, the arrangement being such that when the rack bar is in its normal position, the usual operation of the registering wheels is permitted, and the manual movement of the rack bar to its abnormal position causes the shifter to move the stop into the path of the Wheel teeth, and the pawl to engage said teeth and rotate the wheels simultaneously to their starting positions.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

HARRIS L. MAGNEILL. 

